On Saturday, Oct. 18, over 400 people gathered at the Bulloch County Courthouse in downtown Statesboro for a “No Kings” protest. Similar protests occurred throughout the country, including New York City, Atlanta, Dallas, and Washington, D.C.. 

The demonstration, directed at President Trump and his administration, was critical of several policies by the administration; some protestors held signs and spoke about immigration raids, National Guard deployment in U.S. cities, free speech, and more.

The protest, lasting from 11 AM to 1 PM, had attendees of many ages, ranging from college students to senior citizens. The gathering was also supported by the Statesboro Migrant Support Group and the Young Democrats of Georgia’s Bulloch County chapter. 

Noemi Mijares was representing the Statesboro Migrant Support Group, and she spoke about how immigration raids have affected people and families within the community.

“We have a lot of families that have been left without their primary source of income,” Mijares said. “So, really, our main thing is all these things happen, but what happens when they leave? There is a mess left behind, and nobody’s there to help those families.”

Mijares and the Statesboro Migrant Support Group seek to alleviate some of the difficulties families can face.

“We try to be there as fast as we can,” she continued. “Whatever we can do, we try to help with. That’s really the main cause.”

Madeline Smith attended with the Bulloch County Young Democrats. She has been with the group for 7 years, when it was still the Young Democrats of Georgia Southern. Smith spoke of her concerns and why she came out to protest.

“I would like to continue living in a country that protects its democracy and constitution, and where we don’t have a president who lives above the law,” Smith said. 

Kloey Powell and Isabella Dossey are both freshmen at Georgia Southern, who came out to show their support for “No Kings.” 

“I care about our country, and I want to be able to speak my mind, especially in rural cities like Statesboro,” said Dossey. “So, it’s awesome that protests are still available.”

Powell shared a similar sentiment.

“I love our country so much, and it’s so upsetting to see what’s happening,” she said. “I want to stop complaining about it and do something about it. So that’s what I’m doing.”

The demonstrators seemed to be supported by community members and passersby, who sounded their car horns and raised an enthusiastic thumbs-up to the crowd holding signs and American flags. 

The first weekend of “No Kings” protests occurred on June 14, President Trump’s 79th birthday. The mass demonstrations also occurred across the country, as they did on Saturday for the protests’ reprise. 

In response to questions from National Public Radio about the protests occurring around the country, a spokesperson for the White House, Abigail Johnson, had these two words: “Who cares?”